By Martin Cole-
Russia launched fierce missile strikes on Kyiv and numerous Ukranian cities as world leaders met at the G7 in Bali. Ukraine was heavily struck between Lviv in the west to Chernihiv in the north.
Nearly 12 cities were hit by the ferocious missile strikes which are reported to have numbered up to 100 strikes launched on a day that had come after days of retreat of the Russian army from Kherson, celebrated by Ukranians.
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The offensive was the most powerful set of strikes fired by Russia, since its invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said several Russian missiles were shot down but warned that at least half of Kyiv’s residents were without electricity due to emergency outages, in what he called a “necessary step to balance the power system”.
Describing the situation as “critical”, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, accused Russia of carrying out “another planned attack on energy infrastructure facilities”.
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He said the situation in Kyiv, in particular, was “extremely difficult”.
The strikes was compounded by reports of power outages in several cities, but no further details on casualties at this stage. A block of flats can be seen on fire in the video circulated by president Zelinsky’s video with flames billowing from windows.
During the virtual speech, Mr Zelensky addressed what he referred to as “G19” leaders – snubbing Moscow – and said he was “convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped”.
A draft declaration from the summit, seen by news agencies, said “most” countries agreed the war was exacerbating fragilities in the global economy.
Mr Lavrov said the declaration had been “politicised” by Ukraine’s Western allies.
In the past week Moscow has pulled its troops from the southern city of Kherson, the only regional capital it captured since launching its invasion in February.
These strikes are the first by Russia since the withdrawal was completed.
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